422 reminders that your help is needed

Driving by the Legislature Building, you'll notice there are a lot of issues and people vying for your attention, ranging from trapping protesters to those calling for an end to the war.

Today, you'll notice a lot of pinwheels.

In fact, there will be 422 of them in front of the building, one for each child abuse report investigated in Carson City in 2006. The pinwheels are a symbol that we're in National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The victims of child abuse often carry the emotional scars throughout their lives, and frequently pass them on to their children. It's a cycle that won't be easy to break, but the battle is worth fighting. And there is a lot you can do.

For one thing, you can help plant the pinwheels beginning at 10 a.m. today at the Legislature Building. The best part of that exercise is that you'll be able to meet others who advocate for abused and neglected children and learn how you can get involved.

Sometimes, that's just a matter of common sense. Sarah Koerner, for example, did a simple thing by calling the police when she saw a sickly child pushing a shopping cart down a Carson City street. But it was that call that ended five years of imprisonment for the starving girl and her brother.

There are plenty of other ways to help children, including volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. For more information, call 882-6776 or visit www.casaofcc.org.

For more information on what you can do to help prevent child abuse or to become a foster parent, visit the Web site www.dcfs.state.nv.us